Bizen Yunomi

This is a brand-new Bizen tea cup, fresh from the kiln of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, who continues to lead the world of Bizen ware with an inexhaustible creative power. This latest work was fired in the Koya-san anagama (tunnel kiln) that he restored alongside his father, Yozan, and his brother, Mitsuru. It features the signature Isezaki Bizen finish, with a beautiful gradation of sesame ash glaze, hidasuki (fire-cord) markings, and white clay. With straw wrapped diagonally around the piece, the hidasuki forms a continuous trail that circles the entire cup, drawing the eye and making one lose track of time while tracing its flow. The exterior offers a well-balanced landscape of white and red clay tones, while the interior reveals a rich variety of details, including fine, snow-like speckled sesame ash. While labeled as a tea cup on the accompanying box, it is, of course, equally suitable for use as a beer glass. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 8.4cm × Diameter 7.8cm × Height 9.5cm Jun Isezaki was born as the second son of Yozan Isezaki, a master of ceramic craft. He learned pottery from a young age and embarked on his career after graduating from the Okayama University Special Art Course in 1959. His body of work is vast, ranging from traditional vases, plates, and tea ceramics to ceramic walls and abstract sculptures. In his creative process, he emphasizes both forming and firing. His style is characterized by a modern sensibility that leverages the unique qualities of his materials and various kilns (anagama, climbing kilns, and electric kilns). Furthermore, he is widely recognized as a leading relief artist and has unveiled numerous works in that medium. He became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1966 and served as a special lecturer in fine arts at Okayama University for nine years starting in 1978. In 1998, he and his brother, Mitsuru, were both designated as holders of Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Properties, and in the same year, he became the Secretary General of the Chugoku Branch of the Japan Kōgei Association. In July 2004, he was designated a Living National Treasure (Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property).
Awards: Numerous, including the Kaneshige Toyo Award, Okayama Prefectural Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, and Excellence Award at the Chanoyu Ceramics Exhibition / Member of the Prefectural Exhibition Judging Committee